Avni Patel

Artist Statement: Since the beginning of civilization, throughout all strata's of cultures, jewelry has been a part of day-to-day life. I have expressed myself through the fusion of ethnic and contemporary jewelry, using historical motifs and forms from Indian Art and Architecture.

After moving to the United States, I started having nostalgic images of the places - temples, rock-cut caves, palaces etc., which I visited on the college field trips as an undergraduate student in India. I look back and realize how much I wanted to use the images and memories in my work. I wanted to share the history of my country. It would not be possible to present all of India's vast history, but have shown glimpses and shared my thoughts, ideas and feelings about the places I visited. As I continue to be intrigued by the intricate and symbolic shapes and forms of Indian art and architecture, the more I wanted to learn about a particular style. It is through Jewelry that I was able to express myself.

The Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, wrote in his book Discovery of India, “There is a stillness and everlastingness about the past, it changes not and has a touch of eternity.” And I very much believe in this and have experienced it while working on my pieces, and would like the viewers to have the same experience.